Finding the Perfect Laptop Bag

I’m a huge fan of the CreativePro.com website and have been very grateful for the information I’ve learned over the years from reading the site. So I was thrilled when the opportunity to write an article for this community arose. The article I wrote is about choosing the laptop bag that works best for you and is titled: Finding The Perfect Laptop Bag.

I received some great feedback and a few additional questions so I thought I’d answer them now.

Why is it so hard to find a good and stylish laptop bag for a larger laptop?
In order to make a profit on a design, bag manufacturers will have to know that they can sell a minimum number of bags. The design to prototype to production process is expensive and they’re not going to go through that process unless there is a large enough market to sell their bags. Since the larger laptops tend to come in a variety of sizes, it is hard to create a general laptop bag. This is why it is often easier to get “stylish” bags listed specifically for Macs than for a PC. The range of sizes for Macs are few, and if you can fit a Mac then you can fit a wide range of PC laptops in the same bag. And if Apple comes out with a new laptop that is slightly smaller or thinner then many laptop manufacturers change only their packaging that tells you which laptops it will fit. This is why I suggest a test drive of the bag.

The fabric on my laptops wears out quickly. What kind of fabric will be better?
Owning a bag made from leather, heavy-duty canvas with a wax or other coating, or many vinyl-like fabrics will last longer than a general purpose cotton canvas. However, if your bag fabric is wearing out first, the problem may not be the fabric, but how you wear the bag. The best way to wear a bag is so it is tight to your body. I see many people wearing the bag low enough to hit their hip or even their upper thigh. As they walk the bag swings and rubs and the fabric will wear through. To cause the least amount of stress on your shoulders, your back, and the bag itself, I would highly suggest wearing the bag higher and tighter to your body. The idea is to keep it from moving as much as possible. And wearing it higher will also make the bag seem lighter due the difference in how the weight is distributed.

What is the best bag brand to get?
Mine, of course. I’m biased, honestly. And my bags don’t suit everyone. And I can’t make a bag for everyone who carries them. So I suggest trying on a number of bags until you find one that feels right.

I want a messenger bag with a flap and another zipper or other closure to keep things more secure.
That is an understandable concern. And there are bags with these options, but they are in the minority for a couple of reasons. They’re more expensive to make and fewer people seem to want them. The convenience of a messenger bag is being able to get things into and out of it quickly. Adding another zipper makes that harder. If your concern is water-tightness, you can look for a bag that folds over at the top to prevent water from getting into the bag. If security is your concern, then a zipper is really your best bet and either getting a custom-made bag or looking for “messenger bag zipper top” on Google may be helpful.